Planning law measures redrafted

Malcolm Chisholm unveiled the planning reforms to parliament

Major reform to streamline Scotland's planning laws has been outlined by the Scottish Executive.

More planning applications are to be decided by full-time officials and councillors will only hear appeals.

Large-scale projects will be designated "of national significance" and decided by ministers.

However, environmentalists will be disappointed that a "third party right of appeal" for objectors has not been included in the measures.

At present, if planning permission is refused for a major project, the developer can appeal - but objectors cannot appeal if it is given the go-ahead.

One of the major problems is that the planning system is now too complex Malcolm Chisholm Communities Minister

Campaigners had been hoping for a limited right of appeal.

The reforms were announced on Wednesday by the Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm.

He said: "In light of the proposals to ensure more fairness, balance and greater involvement in the planning system, our white paper does not propose a third party right of appeal."

Unveiling the white paper, he told Holyrood: "We are unveiling an exciting, ambitious and wide-ranging set of reforms to deliver a planning system for the 21st Century - reforms that will deliver a better, fairer, more balanced system."

He added: "I want to reform the planning system, not tinker with it."

Development plans were at the heart of the present system but many were out of date and 75% of local plans were more than five years old, he said.

'Complex' system

Mr Chisholm warned that councils fell short of targets for processing applications and too much time and effort was taken up with small, minor, planning applications rather than major applications that delivered jobs, homes or services.

"One of the major problems is that the planning system is now too complex," he added.

Major reform to streamline Scotland's planning laws has been outlined by the Scottish Executive.

More planning applications are to be decided by full-time officials and councillors will only hear appeals.

Large-scale projects will be designated "of national significance" and decided by ministers.

However, environmentalists will be disappointed that a "third party right of appeal" for objectors has not been included in the measures.

One of the major problems is that the planning system is now too complex Malcolm Chisholm Communities Minister

At present, if planning permission is refused for a major project, the developer can appeal - but objectors cannot appeal if it is given the go-ahead.

Campaigners had been hoping for a limited right of appeal.

The reforms were announced on Wednesday by the Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm.

He said: "In light of the proposals to ensure more fairness, balance and greater involvement in the planning system, our white paper does not propose a third-party right of appeal."

Unveiling the white paper, he told Holyrood: "We are unveiling an exciting, ambitious and wide-ranging set of reforms to deliver a planning system for the 21st Century - reforms that will deliver a better, fairer, more balanced system."

He added: "I want to reform the planning system, not tinker with it."

Development plans were at the heart of the present system but many were out of date and 75% of local plans were more than five years old, he said.

'Complex' system

Mr Chisholm warned that councils fell short of targets for processing applications and too much time and effort was taken up with small, minor, planning applications rather than major applications that delivered jobs, homes or services.

"One of the major problems is that the planning system is now too complex," he added.

The Scottish National Party's Sandra White questioned Mr Chisholm's decision to ignore the public's call for a right of appeal.

Speaking inside the chamber, she asked: "You rule out third party right of appeal even though your own consultation document has 86% of respondents in favour of a third party right of appeal.

"Would you not agree with me minister that you do a great disservice to the majority of the public out there who support some form of third party right of appeal?"

As it stands the executive's White Paper overwhelmingly serves business interests with some crumbs of comfort thrown in for communities Patrick Harvie The Greens

The minister replied that he had given the matter "great attention" but decided to turn to a more "radical approach" to solve the problems of what he called a "malfunctioning" system.

The Scottish Green Party also hit out at Mr Chisholm's measures labelling them as "a shameless betrayal" of Scottish communities.

The party's communities spokesman Patrick Harvie MSP said: "It is quite clear people's views will carry no real weight in the planning system - no more than they did in the executive's own consultations which showed strong support for wider appeal rights and other reforms.

"As it stands the executive's White Paper overwhelmingly serves business interests with some crumbs of comfort thrown in for communities."

Scotland's planning laws have long been criticised by householders, businesses and environmentalists, with about 50,000 planning applications received by councils every year.

The criticism centred around common complaints of delays, a lack of proper consultation and inconsistency within the system.